Smash Box Controller Now Available for Pre-Order

The Smash Box, Hit Box’s alternative GameCube controller, is now available for pre-order.

Inspired by traditional fighting game controllers, the Smash Box’s inputs are done on an array of circular buttons on a flat controller surface, without any analog sticks or shoulder buttons. Hit Box advertises increased control of Smash Bros. characters through the controller’s entirely button-based inputs, as well as decreased wrist tension during play.

Below is a video by Hit Box demonstrating some of the Smash Box’s features:

The Smash Box is priced at $199.99, and can be preordered from the official Hit Box website. It is compatible with the original Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii, as well as the Nintendo Wii U and PC (using a Nintendo GameCube Controller Adapter). It can also be used to play Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 with a Raphnet Nintendo 64 controller adapter.

 

What’s the point if it is not legal in half of the tournaments there are, including my local?

 

Let's see here...no analog stick, buttons are arranged like a keyboard's arrow keys, no turbo...


This arcade "stick" ain't worth crap, let alone two hundred bucks.

 

Let's see here...no analog stick, buttons are arranged like a keyboard's arrow keys, no turbo...


This arcade "stick" ain't worth crap, let alone two hundred bucks.

Most hand injuries in fighting games comes from playing with the circle pad too hard (which is what happened to players like Hax). With the button layout, hand injuries are drawn to a minimum, while certain advanced techniques that require a lot of hand speed, are significantly easier to perform without straining your hands. Also, who uses turbo anyways?

I do think 200 bucks is a little too much money, but this seems like a good product...

 

Most hand injuries in fighting games comes from playing with the circle pad too hard (which is what happened to players like Hax). With the button layout, hand injuries are drawn to a minimum, while certain advanced techniques that require a lot of hand speed, are significantly easier to perform without straining your hands. Also, who uses turbo anyways?

I do think 200 bucks is a little too much money, but this seems like a good product...

Turbo functions are actually banned in tournaments, so not having turbo is a good thing.
Also one thing you gotta remember is that hitbox builds all of their controllers by hand

 

Most hand injuries in fighting games comes from playing with the circle pad too hard (which is what happened to players like Hax). With the button layout, hand injuries are drawn to a minimum, while certain advanced techniques that require a lot of hand speed, are significantly easier to perform without straining your hands. Also, who uses turbo anyways?

I do think 200 bucks is a little too much money, but this seems like a good product...

Oh.

I mean, I know about injuries caused by Mario Party 1 not being packaged with complimentary gardening gloves at first launch, but...wow. Granted, my fingers are able to withstand intense speed and my wrists have no limits, but still...wow.

Turbo functions are actually banned in tournaments, so not having turbo is a good thing.
Also one thing you gotta remember is that hitbox builds all of their controllers by hand

Well, I play Smash casually anyway, so...
Also, TheWill44 says this arcade pad is banned in most tournaments around him, with or without turbo.

What’s the point if it is not legal in half of the tournaments there are, including my local?

 

Well, I play Smash casually anyway, so...
Also, TheWill44 says this arcade pad is banned in most tournaments around him, with or without turbo.

afaik it's only banned for Melee, not Smash 4, Smash 64, Project M, Rivals of Aether, etc.

 

afaik it's only banned for Melee, not Smash 4, Smash 64, Project M, Rivals of Aether, etc.

Oh.

Regardless, Melee is the most competitive. If you can't play Melee with it, what's the point of it for competitive people? If there's no point for competitive people, why not add a turbo? No-one's gonna use this for tournaments if they can't use it for Melee.
And at that point, you might as well re-add a joystick. At that point, you've got a GCN peripheral that should have existed: the Gamecube Advantage.

 

I say if you really want to get a box controller for smash, just hit up the B0XX

 

Oh.

Regardless, Melee is the most competitive. If you can't play Melee with it, what's the point of it for competitive people? If there's no point for competitive people, why not add a turbo? No-one's gonna use this for tournaments if they can't use it for Melee.
And at that point, you might as well re-add a joystick. At that point, you've got a GCN peripheral that should have existed: the Gamecube Advantage.

The smashbox might become legal for Melee tournaments in the future. The controller has some use for the other smash games (and SSB4 is equally competitive right now btw), although the controller's main use is for Melee. Adding a joystick might not be too bad of an idea, but it does remove the purpose of the controller in the first place.

 

SSB4 is equally competitive right now btw

HOLY FLIP I NEED TO BRING OUT MY AMIIBO AND START WRECKING SOME BAYONETTAS



...oh wait. Amiibo can't be used online.

 

Don't buy this even if you have the money.

Hax has been very vocal about how scummy the creators are about building and designing the HitBox.
Here is a link to his youtube channel and the videos that explain what I'm talking about
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJOIYcecIVO96ktK0qDKhQ

As an actual member of the community, I trust Hax more and the facts that he has put forth. The SmashBox is just out there to make money, while the B0XX is here for the community, by the community. Hax has had rough injuries with his hands because of Melee and is making the B0XX as optimal for the hands as possible.

I don't trust Hitbox because Hax has the facts.

 

Don't buy this even if you have the money.

Hax has been very vocal about how scummy the creators are about building and designing the HitBox.
Here is a link to his youtube channel and the videos that explain what I'm talking about
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJOIYcecIVO96ktK0qDKhQ

As an actual member of the community, I trust Hax more and the facts that he has put forth. The SmashBox is just out there to make money, while the B0XX is here for the community, by the community. Hax has had rough injuries with his hands because of Melee and is making the B0XX as optimal for the hands as possible.

I don't trust Hitbox because Hax has the facts.

Sadly yea. I know Gravy was involved with Smashbox and he seemed quite passionate about the project, but the other developer/spokesperson of Smashbox appeared to be extremely scummy and manipulative.

Pretty unfortunate for people that really have ergonomic issues with GC controllers.

 

I backed it on Kickstarter. The team has been very receptive to feedback from the alpha group.

They've added lots of features that weren't originally going to be part of the product. Additionally the build quality is outstanding.

They hand tested each machine to ensure that nothing is broken before shipping. The whole process is great, and they definitely care about the communities that they are involved in, Smash and others.

 

Theoretically, wouldn't it be easier to use DDR technology to make an ultra-soft Gamecube controller? I mean, who ever got hand injuries from roughly massaging a pillow?